Mourners say farewell to tragic honeymoon couple
HUNDREDS of mourners packed into Halifax Minster yesterday to pay their last respects to newlyweds Emma and Jonathan Gray, who were tragically killed in a quad bike accident while on their honeymoon in the Maldives.
The couple’s six-month-old son, Jake, was carried into church behind the coffins of his 25-year-old mother and father, who died on Saturday, August 6.
Guests had been asked to wear bright colours for the funeral, which had been described as a “celebration for both their lives.”
Mrs Gray was a much-loved teacher at Holy Trinity Primary School in Halifax, while her husband worked as a manager at a kitchen design firm.
Outside the church, a tribute from Jake read: “When the sky is black I will find the brightest star and know you are watching over me. Baby Jake xxx.”
The service was led by the Rev Chris Wray, who had married the couple a week before their deaths.
Lizzie Coyle, a friend of the Grays who sang at their wedding, gave a solo rendition of the Leona Lewis song Footprints in the Sand.
Tributes also came from family members, friends and colleagues.
Liz Whetham, deputy headteacher at Holy Trinity, said in her eulogy: “I’m sure I speak for many of you when I say life will never be the same again.”
Mourners left the Minster to the sound of New York New York, which was chosen as Mr Gray proposed to his then-girlfriend during a ride in a horse-drawn carriage in the city’s Central Park.